The research activity at CAUP is organized in two large science teams on the following topics:

Origin and Evolution of Stars and PlanetsThe key objectives of the team are to address the important issues of the
fundamental physics driving the formation and evolution of stars and planets.
Both observational and modeling components are addressed.

Galaxies and Observational CosmologyWe aim to provide world-class contributions to the understanding of the origin and evolution of the universe and its large-scale
structures. Our strategic focus is on the observational aspects of
cosmology (ranging from the radio to the X-ray), but our
multi-disciplinary expertise and interests encompass theory,
phenomenology, high-performance computing and astronomical
instrumentation.

Astronomical InstrumentationThe scientific participation in the technical development of Astronomical
Instrumentation, which transverses both major scientific areas in CAUP, is also pursued.
Its importance steams from the need to secure privileged access to existing and future
facilities of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern
Hemisphere (ESO) and of the European Space Agency (ESA) and to contribute to the long
term development of Astronomy in Portugal.

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.